Twinkly Lights

I always thought of myself as a homey person. By that, I mean, I prefer to spend my time at home than anywhere else. Which makes me social hermit. I don't mind, really.

I used to love living on Lygon Street - right across the road from Wolf Vintage, a skip and hop away from Nova Cinema ($4 movie days on Monday) which shows artsy non main stream movies, shopping at the very quaint King & Godfree's for my weekly supply of caviar and lovely moscato , the italian food - and of course, the main reason for moving to Lygon - the 11pm closing time for bookstores.

Now that I'm in the city (which feels like a squillion miles away from Lygon) I feel suffocated by the busy, buzzy crowd. Which I suppose, is good - because that means I try to create my little haven in my apartment here in the city.

Friends who come over jokingly ask, what DO I have that's not from IKEA?! I wish I had more time to thrift hunt for furnitures - but they are usually so ridiculously expensive, and I honestly have not had the time to learn how to upholster my own furniture.

Plus, the sister's boyfriend said someone could have died on them. Or in them, if vintage clothes. And the sister and I got freaked out after that because we're just that chinese and believe in suay-ness.

I do try to scourge thrift stores to find bits and pieces that I can add to the apartment to makes it.... less IKEA-ish. But things like that take time, and I'm happy with the way it looks for now. Hopefully during the mid-year holidays when the momma and the youngest sister is here we'll be able to do lovely make-the-house-a-home projects.

As it's the middle of the semester, and work has piled up to my armpits, and space only permitted a teeny, tiny desk in my bedroom, I decided to move my work station to the living room. I like it - living on the 23rd floor and in a corner unit means I'm surrounded by beautiful twinkly lights of the city.

There is music by Stacey Kent playing in the background, and more recently, music that makes me smile - the soundtrack of Julie and Julia - add to the ambiance.

I feel most relaxed at night and most friends who come over enough know how much I hate halogen lights. So in place the sister and I put plenty of just-bright-enough lamps in the corners.

Muffin loves to hang off the couch arm.

Have a fantastic week ahead, y'all.